Professor
Prof. Coomber's teaching focuses on the intersections that develop between Bible and culture, shaping societal aspects ranging from politics to artistic expression. His primary research and publication focus is on Bible and economics, through which he explores how biblical texts challenging systemic poverty and imperialism might provide tools for confronting these challenges in our time.
Prof. Coomber has studied and taught in England, Canada, Japan, and India. He enjoys sharing his love of travel with students through an overseas course entitled "Genocide, Resistance, and God in Nazi Europe," which explores the theological questions raised by anti-fascist resistance groups and their selfless acts of service to their persecuted neighbors during the Second World War.
He is an Episcopal priest, has a graduate-level background in Buddhist Studies and Sanskrit, and bridges his academic life and human-rights concerns by serving as a co-director at The Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice.
Prof. Coomber's personal interests include playing old-time mandolin and banjo, woodworking, brewing beer, spending time with his family, and supporting his favorite soccer team: Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
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Education and Training
- PhD, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, Biblical Studies
- MDiv, Trinity College, University of Toronto
- Graduate Study, Naropa University, Boulder, CO, Buddhist Studies and Sanskrit
- BA, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, Religion and Philosophy
Areas of Professional Interest
- Hebrew prophecy in socio-historical context
- Biblical economics
- Use of Bible in social-justice movements
- Reception history
- Contextual Bible study
- Post-colonial interpretation
Highlights and Published Work
Books:
Amos and Micah Through the Centuries. Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, forthcoming.
Re-Reading the Prophets through Corporate Globalization: A Cultural-Evolutionary Approach to Understanding Economic Injustice in the Hebrew Bible. Biblical Intersections 4: Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2010.
Edited Volumes:
Economics and Empire in the Ancient Near East. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
Economics and Empire in the Greco-Roman World. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
God, Mammon, and the Hope of the Poor: The First Testament. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
God, Mammon, and the Hope of the Poor: The Second Testament. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
Bible in the age of Capital: Challenges We Face. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
Bible in the age of Capital: What is Being Done. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
The Apocrypha: Fortress Commentary on the Bible Study Edition. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
The Historical Writings: Fortress Commentary on the Bible Study Edition. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
The Pentateuch: Fortress Commentary on the Bible Study Edition. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
The Prophets: Fortress Commentary on the Bible Study Edition. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
Wisdom, Worship, and Poetry: Fortress Commentary on the Bible Study Edition. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
More About Dr. Coomber
THEO 100 Just Theology (Theology and Social Justice)
THEO 130 Introduction to the Bible
THEO 336 Bible & the Arts
THEO 338 Bible in Modern Political Thought
THEO 339 Hebrew Prophecy: Mysticism in Action
THEO 360 Special Topics: Genocide, Resistance, and God in Nazi Europe (Study Abroad)
Honors 101 World of Ideas: War & Peace
Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice, Director
Society of Biblical Literature, Co-Chair of Poverty in the Biblical World Section
Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, External Member
Society for Old Testament Study
Catholic Biblical Association of America
Leadership
St. Ambrose Conference on Bible and Justice Series, Co-Organizer and Director
Society of Biblical Literature, Co-Chair of the Poverty in the Biblical World Section
International Society of Biblical Literature, Steering committee member of the Bible and Empire Section
Middle East Institute, Advisory Board
Dean Search Committee (2015-16), College of Arts and Sciences
SAU Center for International Education, Regional Expert: United Kingdom and Japan
Edited Volumes:
Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges. Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. BibleWorld: New York: Routledge Publishing, 2011.
Political Theology 11, No. 3, 2010. Guest editor of this special edition, which is comprised of selected papers from the 2008 Conference on Bible and Justice Wealth and Poverty in the Biblical World. Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, forthcoming.
God, Mammon, and the Hope of the Poor: A Biblical Commentary. Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, forthcoming The Bible in the Age of Capital. Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, forthcoming.
Journal Articles:
"Bevor Sie den Jordan überqueren: Das Erzählen und Nacherzählen des Exodus Afroamerikanische Geschichte." Welt und Umwelt Der Bibel (forthcoming).
"Seeking Community in a Capitalist Age: A Collective Response to Poverty and Debt, from the Bible to Today." Journal of Religion and Society 16 (2018).
"Debt as Weapon: Manufacturing Poverty from Judah to Today." Diaconia: Journal for the Study of Christian Social Practice 4, No. 2 (2013): 141-58.
"Caught in the Crossfire? Economic Injustice and Prophetic Motivation in Eighth-Century Judah" Biblical Interpretation 19, No. 4-5 (2011): 396-432.
"Prophets to Profits: Ancient Judah and Corporate Globalization." Pages 212-37 in Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges. BibleWorld. Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Oakville, CT: Equinox Publishing, 2011.
Book Chapters:
"Those at Ease Have Contempt for Misfortune: Biblical Approaches to Challenging Anti-Poor Sentiment." Imagined Worlds and Constructed Differences. Edited by Jeremiah Cataldo. Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies. New York: Bloomsbury, forthcoming.
"Poverty and Social Justice: Micah" in Cambridge Companion to the Hebrew Bible and Ethics. Edited by Carly Crouch, forthcoming (under contract).
"Uncovering Economics in the Ancient World." Economics and Empire in the Ancient Near East and also in Economics and Empire in the Greco Roman World. Series 1 and 2 of Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
"The Church's Mission to Address Poverty in our Time." God, Mammon, and the Hope of the Poor: The First Testament and also in God, Mammon, and the Hope of the Poor: The Second Testament. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
"Responding to Neoliberalism with Biblical Texts." Bible in the age of Capital: Challenges We Face and also in Bible in the age of Capital: What is Being Done. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
"Debt" in Bible in the age of Capital: What is Being Done. Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice Series on Bible and Economics: Edited by Matthew J.M. Coomber. Eugene: Cascade Books, forthcoming (under contract).
"Occupying the Temple in Ancient Judah: Resisting Debt Abuses, from Jerusalem to Wall Street," in Reading the Bible in an Age of Crisis: Political Exegesis for a New Day. Edited by Bruce Worthington and Jonathan Bernier. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2015.
"Micah's Date." Page li, in Micah. Authored by Julia O'Brien. Wisdom Commentary Series. Chicago: Liturgical Press, 2015.
"Women and Land Seizure in Micah." Pages 25-26 in Micah. Authored by Julia O'Brien. Wisdom Commentary Series. Chicago: Liturgical Press, 2015.
"Justice and Power," Pages 89-90 in Micah. Authored by Julia O'Brien. Wisdom Commentary Series. Chicago: Liturgical Press, 2015.
"Reading the Old Testament in Ancient and Contemporary Contexts." Pages 5-29 in Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
"Jonah." Pages 861-69 in Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
"Micah." Pages 870-84 in Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., and Matthew J.M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
Contact
Matthew JM Coomber
Theology
Christ the King Chapel 109
518 W. Locust St.
Davenport, IA 52803
563-333-6041
CoomberMatthewJM@sau.edu